July 31

It was great to see the heart of a prophet who is struggling with his mission. He keeps saying things that people don’t see – YET – and He wants some action from the Lord. I certainly understand that and commiserate with him. It reminds me that when the choice is hard and it doesn’t seem right to people, that I must stick to what the Lord has said to me and not go with popular opinion, which means that I may be reviled. I must love God more than I love people who revile me. That is funny to say isn’t it? Think about it, it is the truth!

Here is a scripture for the memory:

Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NIV)
7 “But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.
8 He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

This is who I am! This is what I am becoming! No fear, no worries but trust and confidence in the Lord. Jesus plant within me a deeper recognition of your hand being for me even in the times of adversity and especially when others are against me.

July 30

To be honest, today was a tough reading. Kinda’ depressing. There was only one thing that stood out to me and that is - sin is dangerous. Judah is so deep in sin that they can’t get out, and even the plea of those who have remained true to God isn’t reaching His compassionate heart. That is so heavy.

One scripture stands out; “Can a leopard change his spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil." Sin is a TRAP! Once you get accustomed to doing it, can you change? NO! This was the truth of the Word that did comfort my heart. Although sin is a trap that enslaves people – which I don’t think we really recognize that fact (maybe with drugs and alcohol, but how about unbelief and criticism and things like that?) – however for me sin can not only be overcome, it has been overcome! Not only does the blood of Jesus eradicate sin from my “account” forever, but I am not a slave to it anymore. That doesn’t mean that I can sin a “blue streak” (whatever that means) and then let go of it like it is a can dipped in oil. No, it will hold on to me as long as it can! However I have the ultimate victory because I have been freed from the slavery to sin. Paul says, “so don’t get tangled up in it then”, and that is my plan. I am free from it to get away from it, not to visit the jail cell from time to time and have dinner there.

July 29

God states in today's passage that He won't hear their cries anymore. Yet yesterday and in other passages He is nearly begging for Judah to repent and avert the judgment. So what gives? Which is it?

There is a point of no return I suppose, however I see something else at work. God was looking for just a glimmer of hope that people would begin to turn around. Yet now that Judah is so far down the road in rebellion and Paganism, God can no longer be attentive to a "cry for help". Only true repentance will have any effect on Judah's plight.

It is easy to get in a "bind" and cry out for God's help, but there comes a time when He won't help. He so desperately wants to rescue me, but I am at a place in my walk where His requirement towards me is much deeper than trying to stay on the straight and narrow. My cry for help must be met with a heartfelt attitude of change and not just a desire to get out of trouble. The Lord is telling me that I am beyond that stage in my development. It must go deeper - surrendered more completely - more meaningful. I am good with that Papa. You are right. Teach me your ways!

July 28

Today I read again of God's heart - it is crushed for His people that He is sending into captivity and to their death. God's justice is triumphing over mercy because it must. (But mercy is just waiting for the glimpse of repentance). Judah has become a people who wave to their neighbor and then plot how to harm them. They have so lost their sense of identity of being God's people that they lie, steal, murder, commit adultery and then come and worship God in His temple - on the way back from sacrificing their children in the fire to other gods. God cannot tolerate this behavior and must correct it or lose His people forever.

The hardest thing has a parent is to punish/correct your children. We are good at scolding and yelling at them, but when it comes to punishment and bringing the consequence of their actions in such a way that will purge them, society is falling short. Kids tell their parents what they shall eat, when they shall eat, where they will go and parents by and large go along with it. Young ones will say "no" to the demands of their parents and get a talking to - after they have done it time and time again. Parental love necessitates punishment to correct your children.

If I may be vulnerable, as a leader this hit me more than as a parent. In the name of grace and mercy I have been weak at times in my leadership. There is a standard which I have not held people to out of fear I would offend them. There is definitely a delicate balance that must be attained, but I must raise the banner of the Lord and ask (sometimes demand) that people step up to God's standard. It is what love would do because it benefits not only the whole church/group, but also the person whose bar has been set too low. God, help me be like you - love like you, bless like you and call people to your standard just like you would do.

July 27

Something occurred to me today and I can't understand how I haven't thought about it before. We have been reading, for quite some time now, (if you are reading through the Bible chronological with me) about God's wrath, anger and judgment. Within all of our readings has been the hope and the love of God for His people. There is the plan to restore and redeem, but still, the judgment is sometimes overwhelming for me. What I saw, read and thought of today was this; all these warnings, most of the time very specific, is really awesome for those who believe.

If you were at a beach resort and got a Tsunami warning, you would be appreciative? If you lived in Florida and got a hurricane warning, or in Oklahoma and got a tornado warning... (you see what I am saying), wouldn't you be glad? If I am a believing Jew and hear these prophecies, I have time to not only repent and try to capture others with the promise of true repentance, but to prepare to be exiled. In fact, I could save up enough supplies and escape to the mountains, desert or wherever. These prophecies actually give the people who do believe, time to prepare - I had never thought of that. What an act of love.

July 24

"See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” I stopped and pondered what God has appointed me to do. To the extent of my appointment, I have the power to uproot, tear down, destroy and overthrow. That is a lot of destruction. There are a lot of things in life to be destroyed, especially in the west. There are so many "things" and so many "philosophies" that need to be overthrown and destroyed - too many to count. Let's not forget the next too verbs; "to build and to plant." If even for the prophets who tell of disaster, it is also their job to build and plant - how much more mine!

When you do your roles and goals in OSL, you find out that God has roles for you. I am a son, a father, a husband, a pastor, a CFO and bread winner. Those things are my appointings. If I take this principle, found throughout the Word and apply it, then I can see what I am supposed to do. Again, in Basic Training I wrote down the articulation of the appointments with their short term goals to measure my productivity in fulfilling my callings. The reality of this passage is that I HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE POWER TO PRODUCE RESULTS! When God calls us to something, He gives us what we need to accomplish it.

july 23

There are 2 things that really spoke to me today. The first was that after the Lord would restore things, people would serve Him shoulder to shoulder. Of course that speaks of working in harmony with one another without complaining, griping, criticism and things like that, and it assumes that nobody will be letting someone else do the work, everyone will pitch in. However to me the Lord was saying, you have to ask people to join you shoulder to shoulder instead of doing it yourself. Sometimes it is just easier for me to do, but that is not the plan of God for me or my ministry - or your ministry! Being shoulder to shoulder speaks loudly that I have to let people in on my ministry, train them thoroughly and be specific about the needs of the ministry. Of course it is the same conversely, but God was talking to me. Although writing that I can see that I need to get specific needs FROM people to come alongside them in their ministry as well.

The second was the that God said; "Don't be afraid, O Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. The Lord your God is with you, he is might to save." Knowing God is with you cures limp hands and fear. The picture to me was of people who were afraid of their enemies and apathetic in their posture like, "what can we do". Victims who are afraid. When you know that God is with you and is might to save, you aren't afraid and you are nobodies victim!

July 22

"The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies;". Nineveh was a great city which had repented 125 years earlier under Jonah's ministry, but something happened to the repentant, they died off and left no legacy. In Iron Man 2, Iron man's mission was to leave a legacy of peace, but the villain of the movie, the Russian, did not want to just kill him, but wanted to destroy Iron Man's legacy.

I (we) have a villain in our life who wants to destroy the legacy of what God has done in history AND in our lives. He wants us to forget about God and get on with our lives of self gratification and self absorption. This leads to the quote above from Nahum. When we forget about God and do our own thing, our gates are wide open to our enemies. I am sadden when I hear Christians talk about how they are under attack and it is clearly because they have left their gates wide open. (i.e. If you are under the stranglehold of debt, it is because you spent too much not because the enemy did anything. The enemy NOW has you because you opened the gate). We have to tend our gates and how we do that is by only opening them in the first place to the God of Abraham. This isn't rocket science for me, but it is a daily battle to stay focused and obedient to God. As the head of the family, when I open my gates, my whole family is vulnerable.

God show me where my gates are open so I may close them. Show me my proclivities to continue to open them so I can watch carefully for those enemies.

July 21

God is going to pay attention to someone and put them in high regard – that someone is the one who is humble and contrite and his spirit trembles at the Word of the Lord. That isn’t a new concept to me but it is a refreshing one, especially after I just preached warfare and violence. Even with the warfare mentality, I must remain humble and contrite before the Lord. The only things that I have to offer are things that I gained from His hand. There is nothing that I have without being given from Him that I can offer to Him or to mankind. To walk like that is more difficult because I put on the air at times, that I have it together. That is because I have an insecurity that I am not all that – which I am not! There is a blending of humility and confidence that must happen in my soul, which will take care of the pride and the false humility. Does that make sense to you? I am confident in the Lord and all that He is in me and what He will do through me, but humbled by the fact that it is Him, or more appropriately, us that performs any good. I am humbled by His partnership with me.

The trembling at His Word is basically being afraid that if God says to do something (or not to do something), I would be too afraid not to obey because of the consequences, which could be both spelled out or implied. I don’t fear that God will somehow crush me, I fear that I will be out of step with Him and miss the blessing and enter into a curse. Get it? When God says don’t buy that thing, fear should come over us to keep us away from that purchase – because there is no life in that purchase – there is death!

Oh God, keep me from becoming too casual with You so that I don’t fear your Word. Your Words are life to me.

July 20

When I read the first few verses of Isa. 60 I thought of that Carman song, “Jesus is the light, Jesus is the light, Jesus is the light of the world…” There is no doubt to that fact, yet there is another fact – I am the light! I have Jesus in me and have become a light to the world. People will be drawn to me if I “Arise, shine, for my light has come and the glory of the Lord rises upon me.” (I changed the pronouns). There is something for me to do, arise and shine – did you get that? I have the light, in fact I am the light, but it is my call to arise and shine. I can suppress the light and hold back the glory or I can draw men to Christ in me as well, it is my choice – again. Isn’t that like most of my Christian life, God supplies – amply supplies, and I manage the supply.

As I was reading a second time today, it said that kings would come. There are few kings of this earth that I am privileged to minister to. (By kings I mean men who direct the affairs of cities, counties, states, corporations…). I believe that in my latter years, more and more kings will come to me for ministry. Make me beam with your light and glory Lord, as one who has no filter.

July 17

Great passage about the Messiah and His salvation! There sure was a lot of joy going on about this great salvation. In fact it says that sorrow and sighing will flee away because gladness and joy will overtake us! So what does all this really mean? I was asking the Lord about the suffering and hardships that we must endure in this life and how the gladness and joy thing works. I get it that we are supposed to be exhilarated at being saved, but how about life?

Here is my revelation. When you understand that you were brought from captivity into your inheritance, from hopelessness into delight, from death to life, from being owned into being bought by God himself, from slavery into freedom there is an abiding joy and gladness that WILL OVERTAKE US! So what about the times that I don’t feel overtaken? I really believe it is because I am not recognizing that I am saved! I suppress the joy of salvation by focusing on this life and its troubles. Even with the hardships of this life – I am saved – my end is joy – the dead end of my life is neither dead nor and end – it is heaven! Worst case scenario – heaven! Worst case scenario on this earth – struggle with the love of my Papa by my side telling me that He will make a way! I think the point here is that I have got to get my eyes on my salvation. When I think about being redeemed, freed, reconciled and saved, and that God did it just because He loves me and wants to be with me, I go to a happy place.

July 16

Isaiah 50:4 The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.

Isaiah 50:7 Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.

The song, “I Know Who I Am” comes to mind here. I do know who I am, but boy do I need to be reminded everyday! I have an instructed tongue. I do know the word that sustains the weary. I am awakened by the Lord and am listening to Him. I have the Lord’s help. I will not be disgraced! Therefore, I will not back down, I will not turn and run, I will not be afraid, but I will grit my teeth within me and go forward to the places God has for me. I am not afraid of being put to shame because God has given me an instructed tongue and His counsel – plus He is my helper! I believe it,I confess it and I receive it from you today my Lord! Roar like a lion within me that I will not shy away from anything!

July 15

God is God! Over and over again God is making His case that He is the one who causes things, created things, sends into exile, raises up a nation, etc… I was reading this and thinking, why is He saying it so much, why so many examples? I think it is the thickness of scull disease!

At this stage in my life it is not easy to forget the Lord. My life is surrounded by God. His point to me is recognizing who He is for me, and never turning away from Him. He is my ever present help in the time of need and in my time of no need. God has the power, strength and will to raise me up to victory, supply for my needs and more than that, He wants to keep me in His presence. Why look to any other thing? I love you Papa, creator of all. You are able – keep me close to you.

July 14

Idols are interesting aren’t they? We have read about idols for months now and I still don’t get how you can bow down to some object and worship it. Society at that time was one of idols, which we in the states don’t have. You don’t have different idols everywhere and people worshipping them and asking for their help. As I was reading today I was struck by the description of idols. They are things that their hands made. Whether they made them themselves or paid someone else to make them, they were made by their hands.

This brought a revelation that I feel like I should have received years ago. Maybe I had it mostly right, but I couldn’t articulate it like this. An idol for me is anything that my hand can make, (or someone else’s hand can make) and further, something that can be looked to that has been made by my own strength. So if I can do it, or I can make it, or someone else can make it, it can be an idol. The ingredient that turns a statue into an idol or my own ability to provide for my family into an idol is trust. Trust or faith changes things. Even if it is just the beginning of faith, which could be hope, or before that, desire, anything that I look to besides God is death! (Like looking to the lottery to help us?!) Jesus rebuke me for my idols and I will forsake them. Show them to me and I will crush them.

July 13

“Don’t be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel.” That sure is an interesting verse. It really popped out to me and spoke to me about my own life. When you really put yourself in perspective, you are a speck on the horizon, a drop in the sea of humanity, yet God cares for me. I don’t think verses like this are meant for us to feel small, but huge! We know that we are very little compared to the 240 million Americans, let alone the whole world. Yet the Lord says that He will help me – He Himself! Wow! He’ll help little ol’ me? Yep. Why? Because He loves me and believes that with Him I can affected multiplied thousands of people.

In this same passage I believe that our calling is spelled out – my calling is spelled out – the reason that He will help me and bring me out of the pit I dig for myself is; “to be a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison, and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.” My salvation is sealed and my future in heaven secure, however there is much more to the Kingdom of God than personal salvation, but it all stems from a close relationship with the God of All!

July 11

Hezekiah, was proud which kept him from responding to God’s mercy, so he got God’s wrath. Then he repented and got God’s mercy. So simple huh? This is not a deep concept, but one that I need to remember – always before me. I don’t want to be under any judgment, and I am sure you don’t either. The key for us is to keep repenting from our self will. Self will is god in the US. It seeps into our lives as poison. When it is found, change your mind and get rid of it. It comes in the form of evil and it comes in the form of piety – but it does the same thing, ruins you.

There is something else though – a hidden truth. Pride inactivates the work of God’s mercy in me. I can’t respond to His mercy when I am proud – self seeking – self absorbed… It is as if there is some type of disconnect from God that produces a rather horrible thing – the absence of the work of mercy. Mercy towards me, mercy towards others, mercy period is interrupted. That tells me that a lack of mercy from me towards me, or a lack of mercy towards others is a big sign that my heart has become proud. Think about that for a day or two!

July 10

Isaiah 30:15
15 For thus the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said, “In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength.” But you were not willing… When I am facing giants, tough things, uncertainty and a lack of supply, my first response is usually a cry out to God for help. Too often I am then faced with the “geterdone” attitude within my being. It is that wonderful gift of geterdone that has helped me get over many hills that now must be squashed. It can’t be obeyed! My salvation, both my soul and eternity and my particular circumstance comes from, repentance (changing the way I think), rest (a absence of movement), remaining quiet and trusting in God. Many people don’t have the problem of stopping and waiting for God to help. In fact they seem to always be waiting for God to do something while they do nothing – not even trusting. For me the significance of trusting is most often found in rest and a lack of me trying to “geterdone”.

July 8

There are 2 great things in this passage for me. First, people who follow worthless things become worthless. Wow! That is a little heavy, but true. When I let worthless things into my life, I become worthless. Now I don’t mean that I have no worth, my worth is found in Christ, but my life takes on a character of that worthless thing or pursuit. There is a worthlessness that will come to part of my life, and if I am not careful, it will begin to take over the productiveness of other areas.

The other thing was that the Assyrians who settled in Samaria worshipped God, (because lions kept eating them) but they also worshipped other gods. Do I do that? I certainly don’t bow down to some idol made by hands, but I see that it is very possible to place things/people/ministry in primary importance in my life. More than that, when we worship both God and other gods, we nearly nullify if not completely nullify the benefit of worshipping the only true God! When I am conflicted and worship, as Jesus put it, God and mammon (money-materials-things), I have to make a choice. God won’t be second fiddle and the blessings of relationship with God come out of that primary relationship – He must remain #1!

July 7

“Till my Spirit is poured upon us from on high and the desert becomes a fertile field and the fertile field seems like a forest.” That is what I need so much – everyday – every hour! So many times I feel like a forest, things are full and I am in love with my Savior, but I am aware of my great need of the Spirit’s breathe and life in me and through me. There are parts of my life that need that pouring out so life would come to that area of my life. Then there are those days where all seems against me. Not all is against me, some things are fine, however I need the Spirit to sprout the day’s crop! I can’t help but think about areas of my ministry in relation to this. There seems to be such an arid, dry scorching wind that is blowing over certain areas of ministry. Spirit of God come and bring life – teeming life to those areas, to my insufficiencies, to reluctance! I need you to pour.

July 6

“The one who trusts will never be dismayed”. To trust is to be certain about – like being certain that a father’s arms can carry a baby. This word for dismayed is interesting. It primarily means to make haste. It figures then that in this context it has the connotation of hurrying around and not being grounded on the firm foundation. In others words, worry and scurrying around to try to make things happen. So, those who think that God will uphold them will not run around like a chicken with their head cut off (inside and outside themselves) to take care of business. They will be found at peace in Christ.

O.k., great concept, what does it mean to me? I will tell you, it means that when I am worrying, fretting, working my butt off to make things happen, I am not trusting that God can carry me through. It is a great diagnosis if we will allow it to reprove us and bring us back to trust. There used to be a saying “you better check yourself”. This is a good check with a promise – make him your foundation and NEVER worry again.

July 5

Did you notice that because of the sin of the people they not only, as we have learned, infected the nation, but they defile the land itself? There has been much said about territorial spirits, dominions and warfare, and some people have scoffed at this idea. Isaiah illustrates it in chapter 24 as says that the earth has a curse because of the people’s sin. Am I saying that things could have a curse? Yes!!

Someone was just telling me that they had some people staying at their house while they were gone and they sensed that the “spiritual atmosphere” wasn’t right. In other words demonic spirits had invaded. This is a curse on the house. It is not that the house will wither and die, but a spiritual dominion has been gained on the house. (The same applies to cities, parks, regions, etc…) We have the ability, because we are rulers with Christ, to purify these demonic spirits and usher in the rulership of God Almighty. This is done through dedication, prayer, warfare and worship. What speaks to me is that I must take the territory for the Lord. It just doesn’t come as a by-product of my wonderful presence. I have to be vigilant about maintaining God’s dominion in the places that I rule, (my house, the church, my car…). Don’t you ever think, “man this thing/place is cursed”? Maybe it is and you need to take dominion. Dedicate it to the Lord, repent of whatever action brought their dominion and pray for God to cleanse it, then you tell the spirits to leave and renounce their affect on the thing/place and start praising Jesus – aloud!

July 4

Where do I start? Where do I end? Hezekiah is awesome! What a leader – what a reformer! What happens when 1 man takes a stand? Revolution! We have to be careful not to assign this to the kings of the earth alone. We have the ability and opportunity to cause a reformation to those we have been given influence to. What I mean is that Hezekiah could affect a whole nation because he was king. We have areas of influence and we can affect them just as powerfully, and then as Hezekiah did, invite others (Israel) to celebrate the Lord with you. (By the way, Israel was Judah’s enemy).

People were celebrating Passover who were not clean because they hadn’t purified themselves. Hezekiah prayed for them and they were healed. This is one of my tasks in life! There are so many who want more of God but they haven’t purified themselves – gotten rid of those old habits, those things that destroy them. It is my privilege to pray for them and ask God to forgive, purify and heal them. So pray Terry!

July 3

Crushed! This is the 2nd nation that was crushed and given to the animals. God’s wrath seems to be heavier toward some. I think the answer to that is in Is. 14:12 and on when it talks about the King of Babylon and it is also talking about Satan himself as well. What is the reason for total destructions? You have set yourself above the Lord of Hosts.

There is, throughout this book and others, this warning that keeps coming – don’t exalt yourself above God! Whether it is sacrificing to other gods, trusting in other gods, or exalting yourself above the Lord, it will be judged and you will be brought back into submission. The warning for me is more about trust than rule, but it does extend to rule. God has me on a “trust track” to trust Him more and more. It is a reoccurring major lesson in this season of my life. Rulership of my life doesn’t seem to me to be a major theme that God is trying to break, but it is a recurring demand and exhortation from the Spirit. (As I reread that, I take that back – it is major) That is, to continually yield my will to His will. Think about this… if you don’t, owls may take over what had been given to you.

July 2

I noticed that animals inherited Edom and thought that was my lesson, but God said read on. I read about Ahaz and then about Hezekiah and I thought Hezekiah, wow, that is my lesson today, but no. It is Ahaz. Because he thought that the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, I’ll sacrifice to them and they will help me.

The Lord spoke about my life and ministry and wanted me to get this simple point – don’t do things because others have done them and had success. Do what I am telling you to do. I am encouraged by that since I have done what others have done and it has left me wanting and lacking. It is easy to read a church growth book and do what they did, but there is no Jesus in that, in fact it can become another god – the god of church growth expert advice – and when you look to that, you have to look away from God. It isn’t as if you can’t learn from others. In fact you can be stirred by others and how God has used them, but you cannot LEAN on what others have done – you have to LEAN and rely on the Lord. It boils down to trust doesn’t it? Who will you trust for success?

July 1

I was reading this morning thinking – wow, this is the same thing over again – it is the same lesson. I was asking God what He wanted to teach me and it is a lesson that I have written about several times already. I then felt like I shouldn’t write it down again – that I should have something new. However God spoke to me about that and simply said, that maybe I needed the lesson more than once. I receive it Lord. I don’t know about you, but I can be pretty hard headed.

The lesson is why God judges (Damascus turned back to God) and also what goes on in His heart. When talking about Moab, which is not within Israel, Isaiah writes that God’s heart is broken for the people. It is revealing isn’t it? God’s heart breaks for people who are going through it, even when they deserve it! As the song writer has penned, “this is our God”. He is safe for me to put my trust in. His heart is continually for me.